Drying apparatus



C. REES.

DRYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN- 15. 1920.

Patellffid Apr. 18, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l- INVENTOR CLAUDE P553,

4 Anon N KY8 C. REES.

DRYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-15.1920.

1 ,41 3,1 35, Patented Apr. 18, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Witness Inventor Cd. 5, v by Lia Attorneys C. REES.

DRYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 15. I920.

1 ,4 1 3, 1 35 Patented Apr. 18, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- Ma ina 6S INVENTOR cu uos BEES Amonnnys C. REES.

DRYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATlON FILED JAN. 15. 1920.

Patented Apr. 18, 1922. [H] 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

3. m Ham 1 I I L M d i U INVENTOR CL RUDE REE S.

S Y N N H O n A r.

'UNiTED STATES PATENT orrica.

CLAUDE nuns, or SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, assren'on re mains snow PIPE MANTJ'FACTURING COMPANY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA,

TION OF CALIFORNIA.

A CORPORA- DR YING APPARATUS.

Application filed January 15, 1820. Serial No. 851,538.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAUDE REES, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented a new and useful Drying Apparatus, a portion of the wall being sectioned in a plane to show the air inlet, of which the following is a specifica tion.

My invention relates to devices for drying fruit and other products.

An object of the invention is to provide a dryer giving a dried product of even moisture content.

Another object of the invention is to provide a drier in which a continuous succession of fruit or other material may be economically dried.

The invention possesses other features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of my invention which is illustrated in the drawingsaccompanying and forming part of the specification. 'It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the showing made by the said drawings and description, as I may adopt variations of the preferred form within the scope of my invention as set forth in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a horizontal section. Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view, the plane of section being indicated by the line 22 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of the drier, the plane of section being indicated by-the line 3'--3 of Figure 2. Figure 4: isa plan view of the truck on which the trays are piled in two tiers. Figure 5 is a side elevation of the truck loaded with trays.

In terms of broad inclusion the drier of my invention comprises a drying chamber through which a succession of trays containing the material to be dried is passed. Means is provided for heating air and circulating the heated air about the trays, the mass of heated, moisture-absorbing air progressing in a substantially helical path passing through the trays, from the tray exit to the tray entrance, where it passes out of the agparatus. Thus the entering material is su jected to warm air laden with moisture accumulated from the material ahead. If the moisture content of the entering fruit is heavy, evaporation begins. If portions of the material are already partially dry, the evaporation of such portions does not begin at this point, and there may be at first even ashght absorption of moisture by the material from the warm moist air currents. As the material progresses through the heating chamber, the air currents are drier and warmer, until at the end, the material is subected to currents of fresh air heated to the point requlred to bring the material to the desired condition prior to discharge. Thus materlal of varying degrees of moisture content may be treated, the drying out of the drier portions being delayed and all of the material belng brought prior to discharge to the same moisture content. This results n a product of uniform character and makes 1tunnecessary to segregate lots of the material for separate treatment where the material initially presents difi'erent degrees of dryness. The apparatus also includes means for transporting the trays through the dry- 1ng chamber, and control means for directing the air currents in a substantially helical path through the laden trays.

Considered in detail, my drier comprises a housing 2 enclosing along drying chamber 3 extending longitudinally therethrough, and with an entrance door 4 and an exit door 5 closing the opposite ends. Rails 6 are provided upon which trucks 7 are adapted to run through the chamber. Each of the trucks is adapted to Specification of Letters Patent. Pate ted A 18 1922 be loaded with two tiers of trays.8, the.

trays extending nearly to the ceiling 9 of the drying chamber and extending from side to side,leaving only space about them sufficient to clear the walls, as best shown in Figure 2. The laden trucks are rolled into the drying chamber one after the other and are closely spaced therein. The trays are so formed and piled on the trucks and the position of the tiers Figure 5, narrower than the long side pieces, so that when the trays are stacked in tiers a passage 12 is formed between the material in one tray and the bottom of the next tray above. As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the tiers on each truck are set close to- 'gether so-that no assage is provided beposed between such tiers as, the trucks are run into the chamber. These panels are formed with a longitudinally disposed flange 14 extending between the adjacent tiers to prevent the pane'l'frombeing displaced, and a. transverse flange 16 at the top hooking over the top trays and. pendantly supporting-the panel. The passage under the trays and around the trucks is blocked by a pivotally arranged panel 17 extending longitudinally through the chamber and adapted to extend from the floor close to the ends of the bottom trays. Thus, except for a certain amount' of leakage which is desired, .the heated air introduced to one side "of the heating chamber, that is to say, to one end of each of the laden trays, must flow through the passages 12 and over the material-in the trays to reach the other side; that is, the movement of the air through the tiers is transversely of the drying chamber. Arranged within the housing and extending along .one side of the drying chamber are heatingchambers 19 and 20 separated by the wall 22. Heating devices 23 and 24 are arranged'in the heating chambers and are supplied with hot gases and products of combustion from a furnace 26 disposed between the heating devices, and connected thereto by conduit 27. Each heater consists of a series of tubes 28 at each end, each series connected at the bottom into a header 29 into which the conduit 27 discharges. At the top the tubes are connected into a header 31 extending across the top of the heater and into which the conduits 27-, upwardly through tubes 28 downwardly through tubes 32 and upwardly in the stack, the lower ends of series 2832 separated by a partition not shown heating the tubes and stack; The ceiling 9 of the drying chamber is extended in the wall 34, so that air emerging from the tiers of trays, as shown by the arrows in Figure 2, necessarily passes between and around the" heated tubes, and absorbs heat 'therefrom.- The chamber 20 is closed to outside air, but chamber 19 is provided with an air inlet adjustable by the door 36, and

freshjair is drawn constantly through this inlet to compensate for themoisture laden air discharged from the housing.

' Above the heating and drying chambers a space is left between the walls 934 and the roof 37 of the housing. Above the drying chamber this space is divided into a plurality of passages 38 by the vertical walls 39. At one end (left of Figure 2) these passages open into the upper part of the heatlng chambers and; at the other. end they open into the up erart of a ass e 41, extending along the d f'ying chaniber o n the side opposite to the heating chambers. Ahned with the walls 39 are doors 42 in the passage 41. Closure of these doors prevents air currents-moving lengthwise through thepassage, and divides the passage into a number' of chambers 43 opening on the inside into the heating chamber and at the top into the passages 38. Thus a complete circuit is formed for theflowing of air through the drying and heating chambers, then up and through the passages 38, downwardly into the chambers 43 and again through the trays in the drying chamber.. If the doors 42 were closed, the air would continue to circulate in this manner indefinitely except for slight leakage. However under usual conditions it is desired that the air shall also progress from one end of the apparatus to the other while it is circulating in the path just' noted and so the doors 42 are adjusted to permit the flowing of air therethrough, so that a portion of the mass of air'may be continuously diverted to pass through the next series of passages around and through the trays in the drying chamber. The doors are therefore means for varying the speed at which the mass of air moves longitudinally through the drying chamber relative to its speed transversely through the tiers, or expressed in another way, they are the means for varying the number of turn's'in the helical path in which the air moves throu h the drying chamber, whereby the numfie which a given mass of air-passes over the same lot of drying material is readily controlled.

v Means are provided for mechanically in '110 r-of times 15 .ducing the flow of air currents in the passages described. In each passage38, a fan 44 is fixed onthe shaft 46 supported in suit able bearings 47. The ends of the shafts project through the housing and carry on their ends crown face pulleys 48 upon which belts 49 are'arranged. At one end of the housing a line shaft 51 is jo'urnaled, and 'arranged to be driven by the motor 52. The

other end of the line shaft is equipped with a wide, straight face tight pulley 53. The adjacent fan shaft 46* is provided with a crown face pulley 48 for the belt 49. Next to it are closely spaced a tight crown face pulley 545 a loose crown face pulley 56 and a tight crown face pulley 57 in the order named. An open belt 58 and a cross belt 59 connect the ulley 53 to the pulleys 54 and 56 or 56 an 57 and the usual belt shifting means is provided for shifting the belts 58 and 59 so that the fans 44 may be runin.

tions of fresh air through the aperture con-' trolled by the door 36, circulates in a substantially helical path, around and around through the passages and through the trays once on each complete circuit, meanwhile advancing slowly longitudinally of the drying chamber from the truck discharge end of the housing toward the truck entrance, receiving a secondary heating as It passes through the heatin chamber 20 and finally discharging into t e open air through the fan 61. From time to time the dlrection of motion of the air currents transversely through the trays and passages 38 is reversed, but in either direction the action of the fan 61 induces the forward progression or longitudinal movement of the am as it accumulates moisture from the drying material. 7

While any suitable truck will do, I prefer to use one made as shown in Fi res 4 and 5 and comprising wheels 63 joined by an axle -64 at each end. Frame members 66 are underslung upon the axles and transverse members 67 are secured to them, blocks 68 being provided on which the lowermost trays of the tiers rest closely adjacent to the wheels.

I claim: I

1. A drying apparatus comprising a drying chamber, heating chambers along one side of the drying chambers, a passage along the opposite side of said chambers, a ceiling covering the drying chamber and forming a reverse air space connecting the heating chambers and the said passage, tiers of supports for material which is arranged to form superposed, spaced layers, and means for causing heated air to circulate in a helical pat-hand along the spaces between the said layers.

2. A drying apparatus comprising a drying chamber, means for regulating'the inlet of air, means for creating a substantially helical currentof air traversing said drying chamber and progressing longitudinally therethrough, means for heating said air -current, and means .7 arranged within the A chamber for varying the speed at which said current progresses longitudinally through .said drying chamber relative to its transverse speed.

current, means for regulating the inlet of air, means for varying the number of turns 1n the helical path in which said air current flows, and trays forming spaces between which'the air passes horizontally.

4. Adrying apparatus comprising a drying chamber, in which are arranged trays forming horizontal passages, means for creating a substantially hellcal current of air traversing said drying. chamber through said 'assages once in each completeturn of the elix and progressing longitudinally therethrough, means for heating said air current, means for controlling the inlet of air, means .for varying the s eed at which said current progresses on 'tudinally through said drying chamber re ative to its transverse speed.

5. A drying apparatus comprising a drying chamber, means for creating a substantially helical current of air traversing said drying chamber once in each complete turn of the helix and progressing longitudinally therethrough, means for heating .said air current, means for varying the speed at which said current progresses longitudinally through said drying chamber relative to its transverse speed, means for passing a succession of material to be dried through said chamber, and means for reversing the direction of movement of said current trans versel through said chamber.

6. drying apparatus comprising a dry in chamber, means for creating a substan tia ly helical current of air traversing said drying chamber once in each complete turn of the helix, means for varying the number of turns in the helical ath in which said air current flows, means or maintaining said air current at substantially an even temperature, means for providing constant accretions of fresh air to said current, compactly arranged trays in said chamber, and means for directing the airhorizontally between the trays.

7. A drying apparatus comprising a drying chamber, means for creating a substantially helical current of air traversing said drying chamber once in each complete turn of the helix and progressing longitudinally therethrough, means for heating said air current, means for varying the speed at which said current progresses longitudinallythrough said drying chamber relative to its 130 15 versely through said drying means for passing a succession of material transverse speed and means for reversing the direction of movement of said current transversely through said drying chamber! 8. A' drying apparatus comprising a dry- 5 ing chamber, means-for creating a substantially helical current of air traversing said drying chamber once in each complete turn of the helix and progressing longitudinally therethrough, means for heating said air current, means for varying the speed at which said current progresses longitudinally through said drying chamber relative to its transverse speed, means for reversing the di rection of movement of said current transchamber, and

to be dried through said drying chamber.

9. A drying apparatus comprising a drying chamber, tiers of trays in said chamber for the material to be dried and'arranged with a passage above the material on each tray extending through the tiers transversely only of said chamber, the trays arranged in close juxtaposition to prevent by-pass of air, means for flowing a mass of heated air transversel across sa d drying chamber and substantially wholly through said passages, and means for permitting the gradual progression of said mass of air longitudinally '30 through said drying chamber.'

10. A drying apparatus comprising a central drying chamber, a longitudinal row of tiers of supports in said chamber-for the material to be dried and arranged with a hori-. zontal passage above layers of the material in each tier extending through the tiers transversely only of said chamber, means for flowing a mass of heated air transversely across said drying chamber and through said 40 passages, means for permitting the gradual progression of said mass of air longitudimally through said drying chamber, and a lateral tunnel along the drying chamber.

11. A drying apparatus comprising a dryin chamber, tiers of trays in said chamber for the. material to be dried and arranged with a passage above the material on. each tray extending through the tiers transversely only of said chamber, means for flowing a mass of heated air transversely across said tray extending through the tiers transversely I only of said chamber, trucks for conveying a succession .of tiers of trays through said chamber, heating chambers opening upon the side of said drying chamber and the passages through said tiers, a plurality of passages communicating with said heating chambers and opening upon the opposite side of said drying chamber and the opposite ends of the passages through said tiers, a fan in each of said communicating passages for inducing a current of air through said tiers,

heating chamber and communicating passages, meansfor driving sajdfans in either direction, means for controllingthe leakage of air currents between the succ'essivetiers andbelow the trucks, and means for causing a gradual progression. of the mass of air in said air currents longitudinallyythrough said drying chamber and the succession-of tiers of trays therein.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at San Francisco, California, this. 8th day of January, 1920.

, CLAUDE REES. 

